Ink & Clay 40 exhibition up for display

Two art exhibits that feature conventional art materials in new ways are on display at Cal Poly Pomona.

Ink & Clay 40, an annual competition exhibit that showcases works in prints, drawings and pottery, is at the W. Keith and Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery.

In its 40th year, the national competition gives artists the chance to display their best material.

Ink & Clay 40 was open to artists locally and across the nation. Artists from New Mexico, Texas and Washington, as well as artists attending CPP, contributed to the exhibition. Out of over 200 submissions, 83 are on display.

Artists were asked to use ink or clay in their work in order to qualify for the exhibition. Professional artists Jeannie Denholm, Dave Lefner and Phyllis Green were chosen as jurors for the exhibition. Prizes up to $8,000 were awarded.

Ink & Clay originally started as a way to save dying art forms, according to Michele Cairella-Fillmore, exhibit coordinator and director of the Kellogg Art Gallery and the Don B. Huntley Art Gallery.

“I think what’s really interesting is that Ink & Clay started off as this way of trying to keep these potentially dying art forms including clay, ink and print-making from dying out,” said Cairella-Fillmore. “Now this show has such an important legacy. You’ve got traditional pieces but you’ve also got things that are completely gone with the way times have changed ” things that are controversial.”

Third-year architecture student Jason Reed works at the Kellogg Art Gallery, and was very enthusiastic about Ink & Clay 40.

“It is really great to see all of the different types and styles of artwork come together in one show,” said Reed. “There are so many impressive pieces in the show that each person visiting can surely find a piece or two that they really enjoy.”

Cairella-Fillmore could not be any more excited about the 40th anniversary of Ink & Clay and the efforts to continue the exhibition.

“These materials are one thing, but Ink & Clay really shows how resilient an artist can be and what they can do with it,” said Cairella-Fillmore. “Carrying on that legacy and watching it evolve is the most exciting aspect for me.”

Ink & Clay 40 is one of two exhibitions the art gallery is hosting. “Poems, Folklore and Ghost Stories: Tales My Firewood Told Me,” is on display at the Don B. Huntley Gallery, located on the fourth floor of the University Library.

The show features the woodwork of artist Fred Rose.

Cairella-Fillmore brought in Rose’s work, which uses metal and wood, to reinforce the university’s stance on sustainability.

“With both metal and wood, the biggest thing for me is the repurposing and reclaiming,” said Cairella-Fillmore. “I really wanted to do something that would connect to the sustainability and philosophy of Cal Poly, and how this university is going forward and trying to be environmentally caring, sustainable and concerned with the environment. It matters a lot to me.”

Both exhibits close Thursday. Admission to both galleries is free.

For more information about the galleries, visit the Kellogg University Art Gallery and the Huntley Gallery Facebook pages.